Aftermath
by bethygrace
Summary: Olicity - It was one thing to appreciate her genius and the work she did for him sitting in the office or at the foundry. It was another to appreciate her broken and bruised in a hospital bed. (Clock King spec fic)
1. We have kept a light on

**A/N: **As if I needed another WIP to work on! But I honestly couldn't resist. I love Felicity's strength, and would honestly love to see her get herself out of danger. But I want her to get hurt, badly enough to shake Oliver just a bit. Just enough to stop and think about what his life would be like without her. Of course, this IS Oliver we are talking about so I'm not saying they are going to kiss, make up, and live happily ever after. But he is a complex character with a number of layers. I think an injured Felicity is going to reveal a layer we have yet to see on the show. PS..the title comes from the song "Aftermath" by Lifehouse. All of my fics have song titles for names but aren't directly songfics, just FYI. Let me know what you think! Feedback is gold

* * *

_We have kept a light on through the trouble_  
_Treaded water - in a sea of tears_  
_Now I'm shooting arrows across your night sky_  
_Trying to land in your atmosphere_

_If we can make it through the storm_  
_And become who we were before_  
_Promise me we'll never look back_  
_The worst is far behind us now_  
_We'll make it out of here somehow_  
_Meet me in the aftermath_  
_Oh, meet me in the aftermath_

* * *

If the pounding of his heart hadn't killed him when he reached the doorway of her room, the dark look he received from his partner would have. Their eyes only met for a moment before his entire self was drawn to the bed where she lay.

His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes took in her too-pale skin and the black and blue bruises marring it. Gauze wrapped around her head shook him, as did the heavy elevated cast immobilizing her left leg. The oxygen mask resting on her marred cheeks did nothing to settle his racing heart.

Dig waited silently, letting Felicity's state speak louder than his words could. Oliver's hand hovered over hers, hesitant but anxious to hold it and to feel her pulse thrumming beneath his thumb. As his fingers closed over hers, Dig broke the silence.

"Severe concussion, 3 broken ribs, punctured lung, a crushed left leg. She just came out of surgery."

Oliver winced at the sharp, hard sound of Dig's voice. But his whole body shuddered hearing her injuries. The guilt he had felt when he received the phone call from Dig was magnified as he took in her bruised and broken form. Her pulse beating solidly under his grip brought a small level of comfort, but it wasn't enough to stop his chest from aching.

"What – what happened?"

A heavy sigh from behind him, and Dig was moving to her other side. Oliver watched him grab her other hand, encasing it firmly in both of his, before casting a concerned look at her.

"My guess would be, she went after the Clock King herself."

Oliver inhaled sharply, anger and fear creeping into the edges of his vision as he turned to his partner.

Dig continued, eyes still on the unconscious blonde, "She wasn't in the foundry when I got back and her system was dark. Something didn't sit right with me so I turned them on and saw that she had found a lead on his location."

The anger and fear hit him full force as he squeezed her hand a little tighter, "What was she thinking? Why didn't she call one of us? She knows better than this!"

Dig raised an eyebrow at his harsh tone and held his gaze for a moment before continuing, "She didn't answer her phone, and she had removed or lost her tracker. After the fourth try, I was about to call you when she called me."

The older man shifted in his chair, leaning forward to brush a thumb along her wrist. Oliver pretended to not notice the flare of possessiveness that sparked at the sight and attempted to keep his eyes neutral as Dig went on.

"She didn't say much. She was barely conscious. Just told me the address of where she was and to keep her boots." He glanced up to see Oliver's confusion displayed plainly on his face. "Roy and I went to pick her up. By the time we got there, she was unconscious, propped up behind the dumpster in an alley about 3 blocks from Verdant. I'm assuming she got herself out."

Oliver released a heavy exhale, dropping her hand and moving towards the window, unable to handle the feel of her cold hand in his anymore.

"I kept her boots like she said to and found a jump drive in one of them while she was taken off to surgery. Roy took it back to the club to see what she found."

Oliver nodded blankly, eyes fixed on the wall.

"Oliver?"

Fists clenched, he turned to face Dig, not bothering to school the mix of anger, fear, and concern from his features. "She's not supposed to be here."

What else could he say? This was Felicity. His partner. His Girl Wednesday. The one he had vowed they could protect. His eyes flitted to her pale form and felt sucker-punched, realizing how small and vulnerable she appeared in that bed. How deceptive that image was. She was the strongest person he had ever known. She proved that day in and day out, she was the brains AND the strength of their team. What Oliver and Dig, and now Roy and Sarah, had in muscle and agility, Felicity more than surpassed in heart and determination. But she was also smart.

Staring at her broken body, he couldn't understand why she would put herself in peril willingly, without backup, without anyone knowing, without telling him.

Anger he understood. Fear he expected. But the hurt he was feeling? That he didn't understand.

Dig wisely didn't say a word, placing a hand on his shoulder as he walked by. "I'm going to go check in with Roy and see what he came up with. I would suggest you be here when she wakes up."

Oliver didn't bother to look insulted at the thought of him leaving her. After all, he had been at dinner with his current girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend while Felicity was fighting for her life.

He couldn't leave if he tried.


	2. Treading water in a sea of tears

**A/N:** My muse is happily chugging along with this one, even though it's completely silent with all my other fics right now. But oh well. Here's pt. 2. The third part should be up later tonight as I'm just editing it at this point. Hope you all are enjoying it!

—

_We have kept a light on through the trouble_  
_Treaded water - in a sea of tears_  
_Now I'm shooting arrows across your night sky_  
_Trying to land in your atmosphere_

_If we can make it through the storm_  
_And become who we were before_  
_Promise me we'll never look back_  
_The worst is far behind us now_  
_We'll make it out of here somehow_  
_Meet me in the aftermath_  
_Oh, meet me in the aftermath_

—

He had never noticed how delicate her hands were, until he spent two hours holding them.

For fingers that could unleash absolute hell when they touched a keyboard, they were surprisingly thin and long, tipped with a pink that reminded him of cotton candy. They were innately feminine, and the softness stood out against his own. Seeing his own calloused, rough, fingers trace over hers almost made him draw away. It was the perfect picture of their relationship. Her smooth, unmarked flesh alongside his scarred and torn skin. He suddenly wondered if she minded his touch. If it was rough to her, uncomfortable. But even that thought couldn't stop him from continually rubbing small circles on the back of her hand.

The pulse throbbing from her wrist was tethering him to reality, reminding him that while she was broken, she was alive. The doctors had already been in to tell him that she should recover without complications. Her leg wasn't as bad as they originally thought, and she should regain full use of it with some help from physical therapy and a pin inserted during surgery. The surgery to repair the hole in her lung had gone well and should heal without a problem. Her concussion was concerning, but they wouldn't be able to tell if there was any damage until she woke up. When he asked when they thought she would, the trio of shaking heads and unsure answers made him clench his fist in his lap.

He needed her to open her eyes. She was unnaturally still and disturbingly quiet. Neither fit Felicity, and the difference was unnerving.

She was consistency. Reliability. Stability.

She was Felicity.

His eyes drifted to her face, where the bruising seemed more pronounced than it had hours before. Blunt force trauma to the head, or so they said. The fact that she had remained conscious long enough to call Diggle was a miracle in itself. How she had moved on her leg, equally miraculous. He knew as well as anyone how far the human body could be pushed when running on adrenaline, but from what he could tell, she had pushed well beyond the limit.

The wave of anger he had been restraining came unbidden to his mind for a moment, and the furrow between his brow creased even further. What on earth would compel her to go after the Clock King, a dangerous criminal, on her own? Diggle had told him all the weapons had been left in the lair, with the exception of the short dagger he had given her to carry in her pursue. She had even left behind her taser.

She was too smart for a move like that. He had thought that after the run-in with the Count, she would see the risk in going out without backup. A shudder ran through him before he could stop it, remembering the panic and rage he had felt that night. The pain that had filled him when she pleaded not to kill the Count to save her. He thought his actions had spoken loud enough that night, reinforced by his words in the foundry. She was important. Her life was important, essential.

So why would she risk it again like this?

The hurt he had been ignoring also rose to the surface as his eyes flitted across his partner's face. Somehow the thought that she was willing to place herself in danger again hurt him. She was important to him in ways he couldn't really express, partially because he didn't understand them himself. But she should know not to place herself in the line of fire without even telling him.

He must have been heavily focused since he didn't hear or see Lance until he was only a few feet in front of him. Instinct kicked in and he found himself on his feet, muscles tight and ready, placed strategically between the blonde in the bed and the door.

"Whoa, stand down, Queen. I was just coming by to check on Miss Smoak."

Oliver forced his muscles to relax a bit, but didn't give up his position at Felicity's side. It didn't seem to make a difference to Lance as he walked to the other side of the bed, reaching for her hand and squeezing it lightly.

"What are the doctors saying?"

Oliver cleared his throat, eyes falling to her pale face yet again, "She has a concussion that they are concerned about. A few broken ribs. She had surgery to repair her leg and for the hole in her lung."

The other man's sharp intake of breath betrayed the concern he was trying not to show to Oliver, who was watching him curiously. The affection he saw on the cop's face was not a big surprise. Of course Felicity would win over Quentin Lance. Her charm, bravery, and warm honesty were not only directed to him and Dig. She was the same genuine person to everyone she interacted with. He was familiar with what she did for the Arrow, and just how selfless she really was.

Which begged the question, "How did you know she was here?"

Lance coughed lightly, dropping her hand and shuffling his feet a bit. "She called me several hours ago and gave me an address. Said that's where the Clock King was. I asked her if she was alright and she wouldn't answer, just kept telling me to get there and get there quick. We sent a squad to the place she told us about, this hell hole warehouse in the Glades. The place was trashed and he was gone, but we collected a lot of material evidence and a few other leads on where he's headed." He paused, gazing at the blonde in the bed fondly. "Pretty sure your assistant single-handedly brought down a criminal mastermind tonight."

Oliver didn't realize he was holding his breath until his burning lungs couldn't take it anymore. With a quick exhale, he squeezed her hand even tighter. The anger that had taken up residence in his chest was replaced momentarily with a burst of pride. The fact that she had secured help for herself AND notified the police while seriously injured filled him with a new level of pride and appreciation for his partner. There seemed to be no end to her bravery. Overcome, he started to raise her hand to his lips, thankfully stopping when he remembered he was not alone in the room.

"Anyway, I just wanted to come by and say thanks, and see how she was doing, but I'll come back later. Hopefully, she'll be awake and talking your ear off by then."

All Oliver could manage was a stiff nod. Nothing he could say would fit the moment. He found it almost ironic that it wasn't Laurel or Sara that brought Oliver into agreement with Lance on something, it was Felicity.

An unspoken understanding passed between the two of them before Lance left him alone with his thoughts and his partner yet again.


	3. Shooting arrows across your night sky

A/N: SPOILER WARNING for 2x14: Well obviously my storyline didn't play out on screen, and while I loved seeing Felicity save the day, I was not a fan of the way Oliver was characterized the whole episode. Soooo I'm going to finish my story and hopefully give those of us who want it an alternative scene or two.

We have kept a light on through the trouble

Treaded water – in a sea of tears

Now I'm shooting arrows across your night sky

Trying to land in your atmosphere

If we can make it through the storm

And become who we were before

Promise me we'll never look back

The worst is far behind us now

We'll make it out of here somehow

Meet me in the aftermath

Oh, meet me in the aftermath

When a soft rustling woke him from his light sleep, his eyes darted to the hospital bed in hopes that Felicity was finally waking.

"Just me, Ollie."

Sara's voice caused him to slump back in his chair, lifting the hand that had been wrapped around Felicity's to run through his hair with a sigh. Her hand briefly cupped his shoulder, squeezing for a moment before she went around to the other side of the bed.

"Still no news?"

Oliver shook his head, "There won't be any until she wakes up. Only way to tell how severe her head injury is."

He watched her nod softly, eyes fixed on the disturbingly quiet and still IT girl.

"She's unbelievably brave." Her tone was almost reverent, respectful. While something about it resonated in him, he felt a spike of anger in the same moment. His eyes narrowed at Sara as she glanced at him, seeming to sense the change of atmosphere in the room.

"Brave but stupid. What did she think she was doing? Why would she go after him alone?" His words sounded harsh even to his own ears, and based on the way Sara was looking at him, she had picked up on the undercurrent of fear he was trying to hide. To suppress. To deny.

Their eyes held for a moment before a half smile spread across his girlfriend's face and she reached out to brush an errant hair off of Felicity's forehead. "To show that she could. To prove herself."

He imagined his face showed every ounce of confusion that he was feeling, "That's ridiculous. Why would Felicity have to prove herself? Besides, how would going after a criminal prove anything, other than that she needs to stay put in the club? If anything, it shows how dangerous this all is for her. Look what happened, Sara."

She didn't seem flustered by his accusatory tone and continued to eye him curiously.

"You mean to tell me you haven't picked up on anything different the past few weeks about her?"

For a moment, he wracked his brain. He honestly had been pretty preoccupied with the mental and emotional fallout of his mother's lie and reconnecting with Sara. But even then, nothing stood out. The pitying look Sara shot him told him he was missing something big though.

She opened her mouth to explain when the steady beeping that had kept him company for the past few days began to trill louder and faster. In a flash, he was leaning over Felicity, eyes darting from one machine to another while Sara ran to grab a doctor.

"Felicity? Felicity, can you hear me?" His hand found hers and squeezed tightly, but there seemed to be no response.

Seconds later, the room was full of medical staff, steadily pushing him and Sara to the hallway.

Based on the looks he was getting from the other people in the waiting room, his pacing was becoming irritating. But his restless energy had to go somewhere, and it was either pace or hit something.

Sara had been watching him for several hours now, pace back and forth, while they waited for the doctor. His mind was filled with all the possible things that could be happening in that room and courtesy of a short lifetime of tragedy, none of them were good.

"She's going to be fine, Ollie."

It wasn't the first time she had said it. And he was sure it wouldn't be the last. He wanted to put stock in her words in the same second he wanted to argue with them.

Truthfully, he didn't know what he wanted. He was out of his element. Felicity wasn't supposed to be in danger. She was supposed to stay safe as possible, in the lair, where she was hidden and secure. The thought that she had foregone the safety of their base of operations to what – prove herself? He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

She was brilliant. A genius. Remarkable. None of these things were new revelations. She was the brains of their operation in so many ways. Granted, he could see to a degree how the Clock King's infiltration of their network was unsettling, but enough to push her to be reckless?

This wasn't the Felicity he knew. He had to be missing something.

"Mr. Queen?"

He whirled so fast at the doctor's voice that the man took a small step back.

"Is she alright? What happened?"

He heard Sara come up behind him and barely noticed as Dig entered the waiting room, on high alert at the scene in front of him.

"Ms. Smoak has had a bit of a setback. The lung we had to go in to repair partially collapsed."

Oliver was used to becoming a solid mass of stone when tragedy struck. He had perfected the art of remaining impassive, but he felt the air leave his own lungs at the doctor's words.

He heard Dig sharply swear under his breath before he spoke from Oliver's left, "What happens next?"

"We went back in again and hopefully took care of the problem this time. She will be on a ventilator for now to help her breathe."

Oliver had no words. He heard Dig ask about when they could see her but his head was so muddied, he didn't catch the response.

The doctor smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on his shoulder before turning to leave, "She's a tough one."

Sara's voice filtered in from somewhere in the back of his mind as he watched the doctor walk away and he vaguely felt her touch on his arm and then she was gone. He could still feel Dig to his side as his feet carried him back to her room.

He paused for a moment as he reached the door and the urge to run, to flee, to disappear shot through his veins like adrenaline. Before he could fully rock back on his heels, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder and a pair of stern eyes filled his vision.

"Dig, I – "

"Oliver, so help me God, if you don't get in there and sit at her side right now, I WILL kill you."


	4. Trying to land in your atmosphere

**A/N: So I can only think of one response to the feedback I've gotten from this story: the Olicity fandom is hands down the best, most supportive, and most amazing fandom there is. I love each and every one of that you read, reviewed, reblogged, followed, and favorited. You all make my day. Seriously.**

**Here's the next chapter! Bringing in Olicity's #1 cheerleader on this one. Because who doesn't need more Diggle in their day?**

**I will also say, I try to keep behavior as canon as possible – meaning you probably won't see I love you's or kisses in my fics unless I mention that the timeframe is different. I like playing with the characters right where they are at.**

**Let me know what you think!**

_We have kept a light on through the trouble_

_Treaded water – in a sea of tears_

_Now I'm shooting arrows across your night sky_

_Trying to land in your atmosphere_

_If we can make it through the storm_

_And become who we were before_

_Promise me we'll never look back_

_The worst is far behind us now_

_We'll make it out of here somehow_

_Meet me in the aftermath._

"Glaring at that thing isn't going to make her recover faster."

Dig's sharp tone did nothing to deter him from directing his barely restrained fear at the machine currently helping Felicity breathe.

Seeing her lying unconscious in a hospital bed had been difficult enough before. Knowing that a piece of machinery was keeping her breathing, keeping her with him – that was enough to set him over the edge.

He stroked his thumb over her delicate wrist yet again, letting her slow but steady pulse vibrate through his entire body. Closing his eyes, the feel of her heartbeat began to soothe his fraying nerves, a constant, steady beat reminding him that she was still here.

Leaning forward in his chair, Oliver brushed a strand of hair away from her pale face, bristling at the sight of the tube forced between her colorless lips and down her throat. The doctor had already come by again to explain how the machine was working, how it was pushing oxygen through her lungs, enabling her body to not work as hard while it healed. It all made sense, but he couldn't help the way his heart twisted at the sight.

The silence was getting to him.

Felicity and silence didn't go together. She was life, joy, color. All of those things usually encapsulated in an intelligent ramble, punctuated by a blatant innuendo and a blush that crept up to her hairline. He had never told her how many times one of her long-winded rabbit trails pulled him out of his own mental spiral. How many times her innuendos had been his only reason to crack a smile all day. How the fact that she still blushed reminded him of the incorruptible goodness he was fighting to save everyday.

"She's a fighter, Oliver. She is going to be fine."

With a grunt, he opened his eyes, cutting his gaze across her prone form to where his partner sat on her other side. Despite the soothing words, Oliver could hear the anger Dig was suppressing. And based on the hard look he was receiving, that anger was directed at him.

"Detective Lance called the Arrow on my way here. Wanted to check in on her, let you know that they managed to get Tockman in custody."

Oliver's breath left him heavily, eyes turning back to the woman beside him, "He came by the other day, said she called him to let him know exactly where he had been holed up." A swell of pride momentarily overwhelmed the fear that had been dominating his mind since the doctors had pushed him and Sara from the room. He squeezed her hand just a bit tighter, the corner of his lip turning up just a bit as he observed her. "She did it."

"That she did. The SCPD is still processing the crime scene, trying to piece together what actually happened. Felicity will likely be the only way to get the full story. Though they did find traces of her blood."

Oliver's eyes shot upwards at that, filled with the raw rage that had been bubbling underneath the surface. Dig didn't seem to notice, continuing, eyes still on Felicity.

"From what they can tell, there was a scuffle and she ended up underneath one of the server towers. I imagine that's what happened to her leg and probably explains the concussion as well."

A set of concerned and angry eyes glanced to the leg encased in plaster before meeting in the middle over it. Oliver winced internally, imagining her pinned beneath a server like the massive ones she had at the club. His other hand began tracing up and down her arm unconsciously. "How on earth did she get out of there, Dig?"

For a moment he saw the weight of it all on his partner's face as he sighed, eyes turning to glance over her injuries, "I honestly don't know. Adrenaline? You and I both know how hard you can push when you have no other choice." A pause. "She's tougher than we give her credit for, Oliver."

He nodded. He knew it. He had seen it before.

While the rest of them hid their mental and emotional pain and damage beneath a layer of physical strength, Felicity took the opposite approach. She wore her emotional vulnerability like a mantle, offering herself to all those around her openly. It was what drew him to her. Her honesty, though often ill-timed and inappropriate, wasn't just a positive characteristic, it was who she was. He didn't question her motive or her support. It was there, unwavering and comforting. Her loyalty wasn't a question. It was a guarantee.

But the day she pulled him aside to tell him about Thea's parentage, he saw a glimpse of something else. He saw that she wasn't a fragile, idealistic woman that had been sheltered from the darkness. He saw that beneath her emotional vulnerability was a strength forged from facing her own fires. It had been present in her gaze when she told him about her parents, a mix of dull pain and strength that told him she had weathered far more storms than her cheery disposition let on. And instead of hardening herself and closing herself off to those around her, instead of adopting a mask of indifference and self-protection, she gave all of herself, putting him and their mission first, taking care of them all. Despite facing the same darkness, she chose to be light.

She was remarkable in every sense of the word. And brave. And essential.

_Then why did she feel like she had to prove herself_?

The thought had been flitting around his mind ever since Sara brought up the idea. It honestly still didn't make any sense to him at all.

Glancing up at his stony-faced partner, Oliver bit his lip in consternation, hesitating for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Sara…she mentioned that Felicity was trying to prove herself."

The words felt heavy in the room, adding weight to the tension already tangible between the two conscious members of the original team.

The grunt he received in response was as unsettling as the glare he was leveled with moments later.

"You're an idiot."

Oliver's eyes flashed, "Excuse me?"

Dig wasn't deterred, leaning forward to kiss Felicity's temple before standing to face Oliver, "You heard me. It took Sara mentioning that for you to stop and think? Are you that blind?"

Eyebrows furrowed in indignation, Oliver stood, softly placing her hand at her side to stand as well, "Dig – "

His partner's hand rose in the air between them, "No, Oliver, you're going to shut up and listen. Not because I think you deserve an explanation, but because she deserves better."

The tension increased as Oliver crossed his arms across his chest, casting a confused glance to the woman laying to his left.

"Did you even think about how you and Sara would impact her?" Oliver's eyebrows rose, surprised that Dig was going _there_. "And no, I'm not talking about whatever the hell the two of you have going on. I'm talking about the team. What we do. Day in and Day out."

Dig gestured widely to their topic of discussion, "Did you even notice how quiet she's been?"

Oliver dipped his head, wracking his brain for clues he might have missed. Anything that might give him a hint as to what Dig was talking about. Apparently that question was rhetorical as Dig plowed ahead.

"She asked me why we even needed her, Oliver, now that we had Sara."

_That_ threw him for a loop. "What the hell Dig? Sara's not replacing Felicity. Why on earth would she think that? Think that we don't need her?" The thought made his heart ache more than he cared to admit in that moment.

Dig shook his head, "Again, you're an idiot. A blind one, at that. Who have you asked for advice on operations lately, Oliver? Hell, when was the last time you actually even talked to her, other than to bark an order out at her like she's some random employee. Last time I checked, she is a bit more than that to you."

Stung by the accusation, Oliver stepped forward, eyes narrowing, "If you want to say something to me Diggle, just say it."

One eyebrow rose and Dig held his ground, "All you've done with Sara is replace one Lance blind spot for another. I see Sara's value on the streets, I do. She's a great girl. But that particular blind spot is causing you to be a complete ass to the one woman who has been here all along. And you're so blinded by everything going on, you don't even see it, man. She's been the one under fire all week from Tockman. You didn't see her face when the servers started blowing. She took complete responsibility for that, Oliver. She's the one who felt like a failure. I don't have to tell you what that feels like." Dig's voice took on a new edge as he took an additional step, putting the two men were toe to toe. "For a man who supposedly understands women, it's pathetic you didn't even see what was happening right in front of you. And this, her in that bed, that's what happens when she doubts her value to this team, to this mission, to you. She goes out to prove that she's still needed. That she can keep up. That she can contribute as much as you, me, Sara and Roy. That she still matters with Sara in the picture. That she's not replaceable."

The words may have been said calm intensity but the message behind them hit him like reinforced steel to the center of his chest. Rocking back on his heels for a moment, his eyes bore into Dig's. The intensity there was unrelenting and a battle of wills waged between the two men before the weight of his words swept over him and his eyes shut.

He didn't move when he heard his partner murmur something softly to Felicity and then the door was closing, leaving Oliver alone yet again.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews make my day! Tell me what you like and what you don't!**


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